


Tricks Only A Con Artist Knows

by KatyaMorrigan



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Business Trip, Carnival, F/M, Kanej in Ravka, Kaz actually relaxing, Post-Canon, Travel, domestic holidays, fairground magic show, they are both past their touch trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 08:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27630025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatyaMorrigan/pseuds/KatyaMorrigan
Summary: While on a business trip in Ravka, Kaz and Inej visit a fair being held in Os Kervo. Kaz finds himself finally able to relax and be himself around Inej without the pressure of being Dirtyhands fulltime, and Inej gets to take advantage of Kaz's softer side as they enjoy the beach, local delicacies, and mildly appropriative magic shows that a Ravkan fair can offer.
Relationships: Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	Tricks Only A Con Artist Knows

**Author's Note:**

> Day 15 of my NaNoWriMo writing challenge this year - one oneshot a day, every day for the whole of November. I'm following the SOFTober 2020 prompts by @wafflesandkruge on Instagram to give me some fluffy starting points for the coming month of fics.  
> The prompt for today was "magic".  
> I hope you enjoy!

Kaz liked to work from the comfort of Ketterdam, as much as comfort existed in the grey, fogged streets. It was the place he knew best, where every patch of turf he stood on had a catalogue of knowledge already in place. Nothing could surprise him there, and nothing ever did. So when the opportunity arose to visit Ravka for some smuggling, he immediately turned it down. Kaz had men who were better prepared for jobs such as this. It made no sense for him to leave his roost and travel somewhere for business when he could conduct it far better from his attic office in the Slat.

But as always, Inej encouraged him to think differently, and before he knew it, Kaz had agreed to visiting Os Kervo in order to meet with the suppliers in person. Why exactly she had been eager to see Ravka he was unsure, but there was little else he could do when his girl asked something so simple of him.

The journey from Ketterdam was difficult only from Kaz’s nervousness in leaving the place he knew so well. The Crows were under the rule of Jesper and Wylan until he returned in a few weeks, and although he privately felt they would do an excellent job, Kaz was still reluctant to give his life’s work into the hands of someone else.

“You know where the firearms are stored if the Slat goes under siege,” he had reiterated to Wylan, who rolled his eyes. “And where the paperwork should go if the building is possessed?”

“We burn it all, we’ve got it,” Wylan replied, bored. “You’re so anxious about this for no reason. What makes you think Jesper and I can’t handle it?”

A loud clatter came from the doorway as Jesper entered.

“Dropped my gun,” he grinned, spinning it on his finger as he sat back down. “Now, did I miss anything, or is Kaz just bellyaching again?”

“That,” Kaz said to Wylan, “is what makes me think you can’t handle it.”

But the transition from being in charge of the Crows full-time to being sat on a boat headed for the shores of Ravka was perfectly pleasant otherwise. Kaz slept well through storms and uneven waters, reading with Inej when the sun was high and playing cards by candlelight when it was not. There was little else to do, and that was what filled Kaz’s mind with worries. He needed the constant pressure of the Barrel to keep his mind in place. Time alone with his thoughts meant that they could overtake him – and that was a concern.

The boat landed at the port in Os Kervo sooner that expected on account of the unseasonably calm sea. Kaz left the boat with his hat firmly on his head, carrying his and Inej’s luggage in one hand. She objected to his lopsided gait that came from trying to use his cane while so unevenly balanced, but Kaz was determined to be a gentleman just for the short time he was not too busy being Dirtyhands to take care of her.

Their first night in the city was pleasantly uneventful. They dined in a tavern near to the lodge they were staying in, trying some Ravkan delicacies before falling back on fish stew like those common in Kerch, and drinking just enough to make them sleepy. Kaz leaned on Inej as they returned to their room, and she tutted about his inability to relax like this normally. He didn’t respond – he didn’t need to. Where was the stress in life when he was in a city with her, just a little bit drunk and ready for sleep?

Although the travel was strictly for business, Kaz and Inej had a number of days free before they were meant to meet up with the fellow criminals who would be helping them back in Ketterdam. Inej was inclined towards sight-seeing, and Kaz was only too happy to accompany her. Together they explored the cathedrals and churches, left an offering for Sankta Alina at one of her altars, doubled back to admire the stained glass windows depicting the lives of the saints, before moving onwards to admire the scenery along the coast and spend time on the narrow beaches lining the coastal city.

The day before they were due to meet with the supplier, Kaz woke up to Inej’s excited face already looking at his. He opened his eyes blearily, and reached forwards to hold her. Inej curled into his arms and laid her head on his chest.

“Today,” she whispered, “there’s a fair in Market Square. I would really like to go.”

“Of course,” Kaz replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

They dressed and ate breakfast as they usually did: Kaz picked out another charcoal grey waistcoat and white shirt, and Inej wore an emerald green shift dress with a matching headscarf. Kaz helped her to pin her hair up in a neat coil at the nape of her neck, and ran his hand along her shoulder as she fastened the scarf in place.

The fair didn’t open until night fell, so Kaz and Inej walked hand in hand to the beach, where they spent the daylight hours collecting beautiful shells to bring home and skimming stones across the slate-grey water. Kaz’s pockets were weighed down with clams and cowries by lunchtime, and a few shimmering drops of sand slipped from them as they ate a fresh salad for lunch in an open-front tavern overlooking the beach they had just been on.

They returned to their room in the lodge briefly so that they could deposit their shell collection and Kaz could wash the salt air from his hair before heading out to the Market. He came out of their small bathroom shirtless, and Inej stroked her hand lazily across his chest as he stood fixing his hair in the mirror. Dimly, Kaz considered that in the past, that simple gesture would have sent him into a spiral. But now he was past that – now he was in Ravka with his girl, and he could afford to let her love him as much as he loved her. Inej met his eye in the mirror and gave him a wide smile. Kaz turned his head and kissed the lovely curve of her mouth.

Down in the streets of Os Kervo, the fair had begun. Twinkling coloured lights had been strung over the first floor windowsills, creating a sherbet-infused pathway leading Kaz and Inej to the main attraction. Kaz reached for her hand, and Inej squeezed it back as they walked.

“I’m surprised you said yes to this,” she said. “I didn’t think you would like going to a fair.”

Kaz privately agreed – it absolutely wasn’t the sort of thing he had any interest in. But for her, he would do far more unpleasant things than look at some cheap carnival tricks.

In the Market Square, booths and stalls had been set up to offer any number of ridiculous games and challenges to willing buyers. Kaz spotted at least three Kerch-inspired gambling games, and he felt a strong urge to go over and drain them of their earnings. They were all simple formulaic betting games that he had learnt as a young boy, and it would have taken him no time at all to ruin the fun. But this was all about having fun, and he wasn’t going to be the bastard who spoilt the show.

Inej found a stall selling sweet fried dough, and she bought a small basket of the golden dumplings for them to share. Kaz watched as she bit into one, grease squeezing around her teeth and threatening to drip from her lips.

“Those look distinctly unhealthy,” he remarked. Inej nodded.

“They’re gross,” she said. “But also delicious.”

They ate more of them as they wandered through the maze of pop-up shops, admiring the wares and debating the legitimacy of the games. Kaz found yet more card games that he could rinse within minutes, and said as much to Inej.

“I don’t think you should expect Kerch-level mastery here,” she said, amused. “If you ran these booths, nobody would bother to come.”

“It would be more entertaining.”

“Do you really think anyone here is looking for a night of hard mathematical challenges?” Inej laughed.

“I don’t know about you, but difficult maths is what I live for,” he deadpanned. Inej laughed again, and slipped her arm through his. “That had better not be your greasy fried dough hand against my waistcoat.”

“No, I wiped that one in your hair,” she teased.

Finally, at the centre of the fair was a larger tent set up with purple drapes. Large signs lit up with bonelights declared that a magical Suli mystic was inside, preparing tricks and delights beyond anything Ravkan punters had ever seen. Kaz looked at the sign and cringed.

“How are we feeling about Suli mystics tonight?” he asked.

“Nothing like a bit of cultural appropriation to give your magic tricks that feel-good factor.”

“Do you want to go in?”

“Honestly,” Inej sighed, “I think it would be fun to watch even if just to laugh at how bad it is. I can get over the racial insensitivity.”

“That doesn’t fill me with confidence.”

“Let’s go in.”

Inej led him into the tent. Immediately they were enveloped with a heavy spicy scent in the air, and rolling plum-coloured smoke collected around their ankles. A Ravkan man took their payment and showed them further inside, where a short bank of raked seats had been arranged on one side of the tent. In front of them was a small table covered in burgundy velvet.

“They really are going all out on the Suli imagery,” Inej grimaced.

They took their seats on the front row, beside an older couple who were speaking in Shu and a family of Ravkans. Kaz rested his cane between his legs and stretched out his bad one, inhaling sharply as it gave an unpleasant click. Inej reached out and laid a hand on his knee.

Quiet chatter continued among the audience for a few more minutes, until the conversations drifted into mild complaints about when the show would start. When a small child began crying plaintively, the lights in the tent suddenly cut out. Inej started in her seat, and Kaz took her hand in his. A spotlight appeared behind the table, and a voice echoed out around the small cloaked room.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” it crooned in a broken mixture of Suli and Ravkan. “I welcome you tonight into a tent of majesty and wonder. My name is Paja, and I am a mystic from the northern lands of Ravka. You will witness the splendid powers of one whose magic is not defined by the Grisha.”

There was a splash of smoke, and from it emerged a tall slender Suli woman. She was dressed in rich red robes, with golden bangles lining her arms and coin-like discs twinkling from her sleeves and hem. She regarded the audience with bright dark eyes and a subtle smirk.

“You may think you know what I can do – a Grisha has control of the elements, of the likeness that calls from within. But I am no Grisha. I am a master of the arts, a magician, if you will.”

She twisted her hands in a serpentine fashion, and pulled a long sword from her sleeve. With a flick of her wrist, she balanced the tip of the blade on her palm and slowly brought her hand down onto the hilt. It slowly began to shrink, the silver blade collapsing in on itself as she pushed downwards, until there was nothing left and Paja exposed her bare palms to the audience. There was a round of polite applause.

Kaz looked at Inej. She was watching Paja’s display with an expression of delight that he had not expected.

“Is this okay?” he whispered in her ear as Paja lifted up the cloth on the table and began to withdraw new instruments.

“This is so fun,” she whispered back. “It’s tacky and cheap, but it’s still a magic show!”

Kaz chuckled to himself as the audience quietened again. Paja was now picking up silver coins and spinning them between her long fingers, turning them into gold and then back again. This was the kind of thing Kaz knew how to do well enough, but even he was impressed when she rubbed the coins between finger and thumb and unfolded a green kruge bill, over and over again. She cast the kruge into the audience, and Kaz managed to catch one. It was real enough – she had turned coins into paper money.

Inej was giggling in delight as the tricks progressed, all in silence bar for cryptic statements about Suli abilities and a connection with the unknown. Kaz found himself looking at Inej far more than at Paja – there was nothing quite like her sparkling eyes and ajar mouth as she admired the careful work of someone who knew how to work a crowd even better than Kaz himself. It was beautiful to see Inej so captivated by childlike joy such as this. Her whole life had been spent trying to move on from her early teenage years, and here she was, cast back into that happiness that can only be found in being completely accepting of what happens before your eyes. Suspension of disbelief. How was it that a girl like her could still enjoy the cheap magic of a Ravkan fairground after everything she had been through? Kaz admired her deeply, and found himself grinning lopsidedly when Inej caught him looking at her. She leaned over quickly and pressed a kiss to his mouth before turning her attention onto Paja again.

“Now,” Paja was announcing as she dusted some ash from her hands after the previous trick, “I will need a volunteer for this next magical exploration. Will somebody raise their hand to take part?”

Inej’s hand was in the air before her sentence had completed. Paja caught her eye and gave a luxurious smile.

“Young lady, on the front row,” Paja said, pointing to her. “You will be my magical assistant.”

Inej squeezed Kaz’s hand before standing up and joining Paja on the small stage. She was grinning unrestrainedly, and her eyes were only on Kaz. He grinned back at her, holding onto his cane to stop himself from fidgeting.

“You speak Suli, yes?” Paja asked. Inej replied in Suli, and they briefly conversed in the language. Kaz understood little of it, but a few members of the audience did as they responded with chuckles and delighted exclamations as Inej and Paja chatted.

“Tonight I will show you the very limits of my powers,” Paja announced. “I will turn this young lady, Inej, into a white bird, and back once more into the woman you see.”

Kaz felt his stomach lurch. It would be fine, of course. This was no more than slight-of-the-hand magic tricks he had learned as a twelve-year-old. Inej would be fine.

“I will ask you to step into this bird cage,” Paja said, as the Ravkan man who had taken their payment at the door wheeled in a bell-shaped golden cage. Inej’s throat twitched as she swallowed before stepping forwards and unlocking the door. She walked in and closed the door as Paja locked it behind her.

“We know that birds often fly, and young Suli women often do not. Unless they are acrobats, of course.”

Kaz chuckled.

“But when we mix the realities of human and bird, we will find ourselves able to make Inej fly to the top of the cage, and she will be winged like all those doves you see in the Os Kervo courtyards.”

Paja approached the cage and fixed Inej with a careful look. Inej shifted lightly on her feet, and then slowly began to rise. Her toes stayed on the ground until they no longer could, and she levitated all the way up to the top of the cage, where she pressed her hands against the top bars. Her expression was one of pure delight, and Kaz was looking everywhere he could for evidence of wires, transparent platforms, anything to give away the trick. But it was seamless – Inej really looked like she was flying.

She wriggled her shoulders, and from the back of her green tunic sprung huge white wings, spilling feathers to the audience below. Inej was laughing now, her wings flapping lazily, and she turned slowly in the air.

“The final metamorphosis,” Paja declared, “must take place under cover. After all, it is a strange thing to become a white bird after so long as a person, and I am sure Inej would like her privacy.”

Paja dropped the burgundy cloth from the table over the enormous cage, and stroked her hands down it.

“But it is a quick change, and I will be able to show you that our young lady is now—”

She tore off the cloth.

“—a bird.”

Inside was a small white dove, cooing quietly. Inej was nowhere to be seen.

“Inej, my dear, will you fly for us?”

The dove spread its wings and flapped up to the top of the cage before settling back on the ground again.

“Oh, you are tired?” Paja asked. “It is a difficult process, to become a bird. I am not surprised. Would you like to be a girl again?”

The dove cooed.

“Of course.”

Paja covered the cage once more, running her hands over the bars, and then removed it. Inej was sat cross-legged on the floor, looking a little dazed, and she stood up to rapturous applause. She was grinning as Paja unlocked the cage and helped her out, and they bowed together neatly.

“Thank you! That concludes my display of the wonders of the magical realm. I hope you have enjoyed my show, and enjoy the rest of the fair of Os Kervos!”

There was another cloud of smoke, and Paja disappeared. Inej ran back to Kaz and threw herself into her seat, giggling uncontrollably.

“Was that fun?” Kaz asked with a grin, putting an arm around her shoulder. Inej leaned in, sighing and bursting into giggles again.

“That was the best!” she exclaimed. “I got turned into a bird!”

“Of course you did.” Kaz rolled his eyes with a smile. “Are you ready to go home now?”

Inej nodded, and they left the tent. They made their way back through the colourful stalls and displays hand in hand, finally reaching their lodging once more. Kaz got into his nightclothes and settled on the bed. It had been such a fun day, and he was actually saddened to think that tomorrow was to be a day of business. He did what he had to, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a part of him that would happily spend another day at the fair rather than committing to his various crimes once more.

Inej prepared for bed, and as she took off her emerald green shift dress, a large white feather drifted out. She stood in her underclothes and laughed again.

“How did she do it?” Kaz asked. “I was looking for the wires and footholds but couldn’t see any.”

“That’s because there were none,” Inej said simply as she slipped under the covers beside him. She leaned over to blow out the lamp on the nightstand.

“What do you mean there were none? How did she do it then? What trick did she use?”

“I once heard from an expert con artist,” Inej said, “that a true magician never reveals their secrets.”

Kaz found her beautiful eyes in the dark, and watched as they crinkled with laughter. He pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck.

“I cannot believe I am being out-tricked by a Ravkan fairground scheme. How in Ghezen’s name did she do it?”

“Who said she didn’t really do it?”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this was super fun. Love some domestic Kaz and Inej, love Kaz without the pressure of his usual reputation, love Inej full stop... This was great fun to write and I hope it is equally fun to read. This has been great.
> 
> The next prompt is "sharing", and will be a Heartstopper-based Nick and Charlie fic.


End file.
